Foot-measuring device



fun." '5 1926. L. C. KRUEGER ET AL FOOT MEASURING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26 1923 Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS C. KRUEGER AND LEONARD J. BREGHT, OF IOWA CITY, IOWA.

FOOT-MEASURING DEVICE.

AppIication filed January 26, 1923. Serial No. 615,037.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, LOUIS C. Knonenn and LEONARD J. Bnnorrr, citizens of the United States, residing at Iowa City, in the county of Johnson and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Foot-Measuring Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a foot measuring device adapted to determine, by proper manipulation, the length and width of shoe required to properly fit the foot measured; and, also. to indicate the height of heel suited to the person whose foot is being measured.

Shoes are so designed that the broad part of the shoe will receive the ball of the wearers foot, and if a shoe is so improperly fitted that, when worn, the ball of the foot does not rest within the broad part of the shoe provided for it, foot trouble is apt to follow. Therefore. a foot measuring device for use in fitting shoeswhich does not operate upon this principle of foot measurement is likely to result in shoes of the wrong size or width or style being supplied to the wearer.

.The foot measuring device of our invention is designed to operate in accordance with the above outlined principle of measurement, and hence the length of shoe to be worn is not determinedby measurement of the length of the foot from the heel to the end of the great toe, but is determined by measurement from the heelto the ball of the foot; as indicated by the position of the large joint at the base of the great toe; the required width of the'shoe also being indi cated at the same operation.

The invention consists in a foot measuring device, comprising a foot-rest provided with a heel-stop at each end so that the device may be used for either foot, and a sidestop, the foot-rest carrying indicia of length and width of shoe, an indicator member movable with respect to said parts, and a cooperating heel height measuring device, as we will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l 'fs'a perspective view of the device of the invention with the heel height measuring device omitted. Fig. 2-is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the method of using the device, the outline of a foot being shown. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the heel height measuring device detached. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the use of the heel height measuring device.

1 designates what is herein referred to as a foot-rest, which, with the other parts, may be made of metal, preferably a fiat oblong plate of suitable length and width capable of being used in measuring feet requiring shoes of the ordinary sizes, say, from 2 to 13. This plate is provided with transverse graduations 2 to measure full and half sizes and these graduations may be distinguished in any suitable way,as by colors, for the full and half sizes. These graduations are intersected by the oblique graduations 3, marked to indicate widths of shoes. Both sets of graduations may be duplicated for measuring the right and the left foot. One side of the foot-rest is provided with an upstanding longitudinal fiange 4, herein referred to as the side-stop, and at opposite ends of the foot-rest are the upstanding heel-stops 5 and '6, provided with the grooves 7 and 8 to receive the heel height measuring device 9. Both the heel-stops and the heel height measuring device are provided with graduations to indicate the height of the heel that should be worn.

The heel height measuring device 9 is pro vided with a bottom flange 10, which serves as a stop when abutting the foot rest, and also as a handhold for adjusting the device.

This device is inserted in the grooves of the to form grooves 1 L between them whereby the indicator may frictionally engage the foot-rest and be capable of being slid or adjusted along the edge of the graduated part of said foot-rest and also transversely of the foot-rest to register with both the transverse 1 and the oblique graduations. The arm 13 is slotted longitudinally, as indicated by 13", so as to expose both the transverse graduations 2 and the oblique graduations 3, and this arm has the pointer 15 in the line of slot- 13 which registers with both sets of graduations to indicate simultaneously both size and width of shoe to be used. In order to ascertain the size and width appropriate for any given foot, the indicator has an 'upstanding flange 16 concaved to conform generally to the ball of the foot and at the center of the bottom of which is'the pointer 15;

In properly fitting shoes, we proceed on the theory that the width of the foot at its ball and the length of the foot from heel to ball are the determining factors, and this theory has worked out to our entire satisfaction in actual use. The device of this invention affords a convenient, simple and practical medium for carrying out this theory; and it is additionally useful in determining the proper height of heel for any person'to wear. The ball of the foot should set with the wider part of the shoe, or immediately in front of the outcurve of the shank for correct conformation of the shoe to the foot and for resulting comfort and health. lVhen the ball of the foot sets forward of thispoint,the shoe is too short, no matter what its length or the location of the great toe, and a shoe thus .fitted will cause the great toe to be forced out of joint, resulting in injury to the ball of the foot,

and it will force the foot toward the outer side of the shoe thus injuriously crowding the smaller toes.

The device of this invention provides for ascertaining the correct measurement of the foot for fitting purposes, by measuring from the heel ;to the center of the ball of the foot and not to the end of the great toe. By one operation the correct length and width of shoe to be worn are obtained, thereby avoiding the necessity of trying on a number of pairs of shoes before finding the correct size. N 7

It will be understood that in the use of the device, the foot is placed upon the foot rest with the heel against the appropriate heel-stop and the outside of the foot against the side-stop. It is not intended that the wearers full weightshould bc put upon the device, but when the foot is placed, it should be in a relaxed position. lVhen this is done, the indicator is moved until its flange 1G rests against the ball of the foot, as indicated in F 2, with slight pressure upon the foot, and then the operator proceeds to read from thetransverse and oblique s ales, respectively, the correct length and width of shoe to properly fit the foot so measured.

It might be inferred that the oblique graduation lines should run at right angles to the transverse graduation lines, but a shoe sizeG and width 1*] is much narrower than a shoe size 12 width E. A shoe size 6 width E is the same in width as a 7 D, 8 C, 9 B, ll) A, 11 AA or 12- AAA, and therefore the width or oblique lines must slant outwardly and run from the length (transverse) line 2 to length line 12.

As sufiiciently indicated, the device is capable of use for measuring either the right or the left foot, and to this end it will be observed that both the transverse and the oblique graduation lines are duplicated, the transverse or length lines of each set of graduations starting with 2 at the mid-point and increasing to 13 or any other desired number toward the respective heelstops. The oblique or width lines, as stated,

slant outwardly from this midpoint toward the open edge of the toot-rest.

The invention thus far described in detail is a'commercially useful article, but its utility may be enhanced by the provision of the heel height indicating or measuring mechanism previously referred to. In order to ascertain the proper height of a heel demanded by the foot of a customer for a correctly proportioned shoe, the foot should be placed in a relaxed position and a vertical line parallel with the bone of the lower leg should be intersected by a horizontal line passing beneath the ball of the foot, and in that position the distance between the heel and this horizontal line would be practically the height of heel the customer should wear. In order to get the measure ment, the indicator, or another'one like it, is

slipped on the heel height measuring device 9 with its concave flange 16 downward, as indicated in Fig. 4, so as to project beneath the customers'heel, and in this position the graduations on the device 9 and on the heelrest will give in inches or fractions'of inches the height ofheel best suited for the comfort of the wearer. If in trying the measurement the customers heel does not touch the device 9, then said device is lowered, as indicated in Fig. 4, until it does touch. In that event the indicator is raised until it touches the bottom of the heel.

lVe have thus described one embodiment of the two parts of the invention, but it is to be understood that variations in details are permissible within the principle of the invention and the scope of the claims following.

What we claim is i 1. A foot measuring device, comprising a foot-rest provided with two sets of transverse graduations to indicate length and superposed oblique graduations to indicate width, each set extending from a mid-point toward the opposite ends of the foot-rest respectively, heel-stops fixed to and rising from opposite ends of the foot-rest, a sidestop fixed to and rising from one side of the foot-rest, and a sliding indicator provided with a longitudinal slot exposing to view said graduations, a concave upstanding flange adapted to be brought into contact with the ball of the foot of a customer, and a pointer at the bottom of said flange and extending therefrom in line with the slot and cooperating with the twov sets of graduations to indicate respectively the length and width of a shoe to fit the customer, the device being capable of use on either a right or a left foot.

2. In a foot measuring device for ascertaining the proper length and width of a shoe and proper height of heel, a footrest, a heel-stop rising therefrom and pro vided with grooves, and a heel height measuring device adapted to slidably engage the grooves of said heel-stop, and an indicator slidably mounted upon the heel height measuring device and having a flange to engage a persons heel, the heel-stop and the heel height measuring device being graduated to cooperate with said indicator in determining the correct height of a heel.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto 'set our hands this 23d day of January A. D.

LOUIS C. KRUEGER. LEONARD J. BRECHT. 

